Do you have 'Trump anxiety'? You're not alone

Steve Whitwill is losing sleep, Louisa Fenner is worried about her finances and Crysta Balis is fearful for her children's future.

The source of their anxiety is U.S. President Donald Trump, and the three were among those who gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa this week to protest and express those fears. But it's not just people at protests who are worried.

During his first term, Trump provoked a wave of anxiety among many Americans. In the first 45 days of his second term, the 47th president has spread fear north of the border.

There's a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear and a lot of anger in relation to what's happening in the States and the politics.- Heather Anderson, Grounded Psychology

Trump's tariff threats, halting of support to Ukraine, and hostile rhetoric are making Canadians anxious, fearful and angry. CBC heard from six psychologists who described a pattern of increased anxiety related to the current political climate, based on their conversations with clients and colleagues. 

There has been a "huge spike" in clients experiencing anxiety related to the Trump administration, according to Heather Anderson, a clinical psychologist and owner of Grounded Psychology in Ottawa.

"There's a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear and a lot of anger in relation to what's happening in the States and the politics," she said. 

Anderson said the 12 therapists who work in her practice have reported hearing similar concerns from clients. "This is not the occasional person that is experiencing this," she said. "This is across the board." 

She said she was also fielding calls from American therapists asking about coming to work in Canada.

"They don't feel safe working in the States," Anderson said. "I've actually had American therapists reach out to see if they can come and work in Canada ... It's not only clients, but therapists as well who are feeling this strain." 

'Keeps me awake at night'

Speaking outside the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa earlier this week, Steve Whitwill, 72, said watching Trump on television made his blood pressure spike.

He fears that if Trump does not bring Canada to its knees economically, the United States would use military force against its northern neighbour.

"[It] keeps me awake at night," he said. "I listen to music if I can't get to sleep."

Ottawa psychologist Julie Beaulac advises those experiencing anxiety over the political climate to check in with themselves before checking the news.

"Create a practice to check in with yourself," she told CBC. "Whether it be some sort of mindfulness, or breath work, or exercise, or spending time in nature with loved ones or a pet — to start your day by laying the foundation for getting curious rather than judgmental."

'Anxiety for my kids' future'

Outside the U.S. Embassy this week, Crysta Balis held a sign reading, "We serve poutine not Putin." But she was serious when talking about her fears for her children's future. 

"They've lived the best, freest years of their life so far," she said.

Protesting was a concrete action she could take to address her anxiety, Balis said. 

"I needed to do something. I needed to feel like I was part of something," she said. "And I'm showing my kids that we fight for freedom."

What to tell children about the political situation is a challenge for parents, according to Jessica Kurta, a clinical psychologist and owner of Sherwood Psychology in Ottawa. Some of her clients have mentioned their children feeling more anxious than usual. 

"We really want to meet them where they're at and say, 'What have you heard?'," she advises parents. "You want to keep it age-appropriate, right? You don't want to give unnecessary information or kind of delve deeply into topics that they're just not ready for."

'What do I do?'

While Trump said on Thursday he's pausing most tariffs until April 2, many Canadians are still worried about the economic impacts.

"I'm within 10 years of retirement and I'm watching my RSP [Retirement Savings Plan] fall because of the tariff threats," said Louisa Fenner. 

Fenner said she's now seeking to limit her exposure to risk and is looking into investing in Canadian businesses. "I wrote to my broker at the very beginning of all of this and said, 'What do I do?'"

David McGruer, a financial advisor with Investia Financial Services in Ottawa, has also heard from clients who are worried about their investments. He said his job was to plan around political uncertainty and provide reassurance to spooked clients.

"The therapy that we provide," he said, "is: 'Yes, you will be OK. We've seen this before. ... It isn't going to break your financial plan.'"

'The reality of the moment' 

Whether Canadians anxious about Trump seek financial advice or psychotherapy, they are likely to receive partial solutions. 

"It's borderline unethical to try to convince someone to be OK when the things around them are not OK," Ottawa psychologist Jordan Ali told CBC.

"Psychotherapy has to be integrated with a recognition of the reality at the moment."

While he did not always have answers, Ali said for his clients, just sharing their experiences could be beneficial. 

"Just to know that they're not alone in experiencing those things and not necessarily off the mark for experiencing those fears," Ali said.